About Us

As an eagle scout, world traveler, biologist, and kayaking expert our guide Ryan knows what it means to be an explorer. After a long career as a student, Florida biologist, and local guide, Ryan founded Rising Tide Explorers to help connect people to the most qualified guides in the region and provide them with the most unique adventures in Southwest Florida. Ryan has a master’s degree in Environmental Science from FGCU specializing in Florida Wetlands, is a level 2 Kayaking Instructor with the American Canoe Association, and can answer any question you throw at him! His specialties include wetland ecology, water quality, species identification, biological indicators, restoration ecology, and more!

Born and raised in Southwest Florida, Jeannine (J9) has a passion for learning and teaching others. J9 has traveled over the country and the world seeking out new foods, new cultures, new environments, and anything that she can bring back and share with others. Her skill for making even long division seem exciting led her to work for Rookery Bay Research Reserve as an Education Specialist for over a decade, developing and hosting new programs to connect kids with all the awesome ecological secrets that our area holds. Her specialties include species identification, adaptations & competition, estuarine ecology, and environmental interpretation. Jeannine’s enthusiasm on the water is hard to match. She will leave you with a deep appreciation and new-found sense of place here in SWFL. When she is not on the water, Jeannine is behind the scenes of RTE and Naples Outfitters, and also raising the next generation of scientists to inspire the people!

A true Florida boy, Captain Winston grew up in Central Florida fishing, swimming, and kayaking along the east and west coasts of the sunshine state. His obsession with the outdoors led him to pursue a career in the sciences working on rattlesnake and indigo snake research, conducting Gopher Tortoise population studies within Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, working as a Florida Wildland Firefighter, and travelling all the way to South Africa where he monitored great white shark and pajama shark populations. His passion for this incredible place is contagious and Winston often goes above and beyond to help advance our research and protection of this area. Always trying to find new paths through the mangroves and easily distracted by white ibis or a passing bull shark, Winston gets PUMPED about everything he sees on the water and loves sharing it with our paddlers. This RTE legend has been declared ‘honorary grandson’ by many of our explorers!

Evan is a traditional waterman, proficient in surfing, diving, fishing, and paddling. He holds certifications in Rescue Diving, Nitrox, and Scientific Research Diving. In addition, Evan is a certified First Responder and Kayak Instructor. Evan also holds a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science from the College of Charleston. There he studied ocean acidification and its effects on oyster populations. Before coming to Rising Tide Explorers, Evan was a NOAA Coastal Management fellow, restoring salt marsh lost to hurricanes and erosion. You’ll often find Evan diving underwater to find critters to show guests and paddling up ahead, leading the way, in search of adventure! When not guiding, Evan is a member of the Reserve’s Team Ocean program where he patrols the Reserve making sure that everyone is staying safe and observing the rules.

Sarah was born and raised in Florida and know she wanted to pursue a career involving the great outdoors from a very young age. After graduating from FGCU in 2013 she pursued her interest in sea turtles and worked in Ghana conducting conservation research before assuming the role of Sea Turtle Program Coordinator at Rookery Bay Reserve. Sarah went on to help with prescribed fire and water quality management at RBNERR and currently works at the city doing environmental permitting and water quality. Sarah enjoys teaching others about Southwest Florida’s unique ecosystems. Her excitement about our local wildlife is contagious and you can’t help but share in it while cruising through the bays with Sarah!

Capt. Claire has worked in the Southwest Florida as a science professional for years conducting seas turtle research at the Rookery Bay Research Reserve and avian research in Estero Bay! She is now working with the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute conducting stone crab fishery monitoring and research along with coordinating the Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch Program for the state. Claire just lights up when we encounter wildlife and when our explorers ask great questions about this incredible place! Her passion for wild SWFL gets her excited to share her knowledge with all our explorers, so join Claire for an adventure in the estuary!

Hailing from Massachusetts, Renee embodies the spirit of RTE through and through! While ensuring all our paddlers are comfortable, confident, and safe, Renee uses her Master Naturalist training to point out wildlife and share amazing things about our area! She was brought up with a Native American background and continues her connection to the community, adding to her deep appreciation for the natural world. Renee also holds titles as a championship powerlifter, championship cycler, and the first female high school football player in the USA! She is a blast to explore with and you can ensure you’ll feel comfortable and confident in the company of our all-star sweep Renee!

Rachael has kept herself near the water ever since she moved down to Florida over 8 years ago from Indiana. She knew she wanted be a marine biologist ever since Nemo hit the silver screens, and has since lived up to that dream! Through receiving a Bachelor’s of Science in Marine Biology from Florida International University, she has studied juvenile bull sharks, various freshwater fish in Everglades National Park, and even bottlenose dolphins. Now she is working for her Master’s studying harmful algal blooms throughout South Florida. As an avid scuba diver and nature fanatic, Rachael loves leaving the lab for a day on the kayaks searching for all the unique wildlife in the estuary, and will make your time on the water extraordinary!

It’s easy to see that Heidi loves everything to do with Southwest Florida and the great outdoors. Her motto is “If it is in, on or around the water, let’s do it”. After joining our RTE crew for a guided tour as a guest, Heidi saw that we shared in her passion for all of the above and decided to join to team! Heidi always ensures that our explorers of comfortable, confident, and having a great time on all of our adventures. She takes pride in making sure all her ‘Ducklings’ have an amazing and memorable experience kayaking the backwaters of Southwest Florida. Heidi has some seriously sharp critter spotting skills and is notorious for finding TONS of awesome creatures in the estuary for us to look at and learn about. Heidi also shares stories about the indigenous people that thrived in SWFL, and how this abundant environment shaped their culture.

Growing up in Indiana, Derek spent the first half of his life making yearly pilgrimages to Marco Island to see his grandparents. Studying wildlife biology in Montana, Derek soon went on to work various internships and field jobs. Derek went to Tanzania to conduct avian point counts and large mammal transect surveys. From there he helped with Mexican wolf recovery in Arizona and New Mexico, then on to Georgia to assist with graduate research on bobwhite quail, timber rattlesnakes and black rat snakes. After working for a municipal parks and recreation department outside Denver Derek realized he was tired of the cold and, remembering his time down in Marco, packed his things and flew south to volunteer with Rookery Bay’s fisheries research and shark tagging. It wasn’t long before Derek connected with Rising Tide and the rest is history. Since joining the RTE super team Derek has involved himself in several Audubon positions, monitoring and educating on SWFL shorebirds, leading him to the opportunity he currently holds as Avian Specialist for Rookery Bay NERR. Whatever you may encounter on the water, Derek’s infectious enthusiasm for the natural world will ensure a truly wild experience!

Born in the state that is about the size of Collier County (Delaware), Celina the “turtle girl” crawled out of her shell to pursue her dreams in marine science, moving to Florida in 2017. She received a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science at Eckerd College in St. Pete where she studied mangrove restoration, freshwater turtle population ecology, and gopher tortoise spatial and foraging ecology. While she considers herself broadly an ecologist, her true passion is turtles, having worked with diamondback terrapins, Florida cooters, Florida softshells, musk turtles, gopher tortoises, box turtles, and four types of sea turtles – she hasn’t found a turtle that she doesn’t love! With a minor in journalism and experience as an interpreter, she is also driven to bridge the gap between science and the public through effective communication and inspiration. Celina developed her science curiosity working with terrapins for many summers at the Wetlands Institute at the Jersey Shore and more recently studying sea turtle nesting and rehabilitation at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach and the Georgia Sea Turtle Center in Jekyll Island, Georgia. Celina acquired her Master’s at FGCU, focused on how red tide toxins impact sea turtle and manatee health through proteomics, a novel approach for studying proteins that make living things who they are. She is excited to spend her free time out on the water with you to explore one of her favorite ecosystems, and while it is rare to find a turtle out there, Celina will still make your experience turtley terrific!

Susannah is passionate about ocean conservation both underwater and above water. Her experience as a scientific diver and SCUBA instructor has allowed her to explore underwater ecosystems and raise awareness in the surrounding community. Born in Pensacola, Florida by crystal clear beaches, and spending her early childhood in Louisiana right on the Ouachita River before settling in Central Florida, she is familiar with all types of “SWAMP.” She knew at an early age she wanted to pursue a career in Marine Science and is currently working towards her graduate degree from Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) in Environmental Science. As an undergraduate student, Susannah began volunteering at Rookery Bay and has continued volunteering there for the past five years. This volunteer experience has led her to her graduate research, which broadly seeks to understand organic contaminant concentrations and their effects on osmoregulation in Bull Sharks. When she’s not kayaking through the mangroves, you can find Susannah exploring Florida’s State Parks, finding mermaid loot, or striking up a conversation about sharks!

Cierra has been focused on the water since moving to SWFL from Ohio to peruse a degree with FGCU. While working with Vester Marine laboratory monitoring oyster reef health in Estero Bay, she acquired her advanced open water diver and rescue diver certifications. When not kayaking or diving, you can catch Cierra in the ten thousand islands assisting with sea turtle monitoring and education for the Friends of Rookery Bay, in support of the Rookery Bay NERR. She assists with protection and timing documentation of individual nests, compromised nests, and educating the public on sea turtle protection status and how they can help. Cierra has a love for everything marine related but sea turtle questions are definitely her favorite!

Capt. Colin McMullen moved to Marco Island, FL from Cape Cod, MA in 2001 at the age of four. Growing up on Marco, he was always enthralled with the ecology, hydrology, and meteorology of Southwest Florida. He spent most of his free time fishing with friends and family in Rookery Bay Reserve and knows these waters like the back of his hand. After graduating high school in 2016, he got his 100 Ton Master’s Captains license and has been operating vessels up to 65’ since the age of nineteen. After graduating from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in marine science and minor in biology, Colin opened a fly fishing charter business and takes his customers fly fishing in the Ten Thousand Islands and Everglades National Park (www.flyfishingmarcoisland.com). While operating his guiding business, Colin pursued a master’s degree in environmental science at Florida Gulf Coast University. His master’s thesis focused on investigating the diets of juvenile goliath grouper in Southwest Florida. When he isn’t fly fishing, Colin takes pride in teaching our explorers about Rookery Bay through his unique perspective as a Marco local, fisheries biologist, and fly fishing guide.

Marlin was born and raised in Cape Coral, Florida, in a fishing family that often felt the impacts of red tide firsthand. Those experiences sparked his interest in the environment and ultimately motivated him to study water quality and coastal ecosystems. For his master’s research, Marlin looked at how water quality changes over space and time, including how hurricanes affect the Southwest Florida shelf. That work gave him the chance to connect large-scale events to the local waters and communities he grew up around.Today, Marlin works with Florida Gulf Coast University, maintaining the coastal water quality sonde network that stretches from Sanibel to Bonita Springs aiding as an early red tide warning system. When he’s not working, you can usually find him outdoors or in the water—whether scuba diving, exploring reefs and wrecks, or cave diving in North Florida.

As a born-and-raised native Floridian, Gerald was a fan of Florida’s nature for as long as he can remember. With a childhood full of watching Steve Irwin, taking school trips to SeaCamp, and kayaking and fishing in Sarasota Bay, it was only natural that he went on to begin his professional career as a high school intern at Mote Marine Laboratory, where he mainly worked in the jellyfish and seahorse labs within the aquarium. That led him into attending Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale to earn his Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology (and a Minor in writing, but that comes up less often on kayak tours!); while attending college, Mote again hired him in the summers to live at their coral reef research center in the Florida Keys, where he led summer campers in activities like out planting coral, exploring seagrass meadows, and touring Dry Tortugas National Park. Post-college, he has worked all over Florida doing different environmental jobs: a zookeeper specializing in reptiles, manager of a county park nature center along Lemon Bay in Englewood, driving a mobile classroom to bring environmental education to underserved communities, working on a conservation project breeding the critically-endangered Florida grasshopper sparrow, and more! Currently, in addition to leading tours for Rising Tide Explorers, he works full time leading education programs at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers. Waterways like Rookery Bay have been an important part of Gerald’s life for every day of his life, and he is always eager to share his experience and passion for Wild Florida with everyone on his tours!

A native Floridian from Tallahassee, Marshall has always been in the outdoors in someway. Whether it was salt or fresh water, he’s always been on the lookout for birds and reptiles in the area. At FGCU, he’s been pursuing his love of reptiles by focusing on the countless invasives all over Florida and of course some of the native species as well. He’s been assisting the FGCU herp lab with reptile surveys, invasive snake parasite studies, and more. His current senior research is on surveying the range of one of the lesser known invasive lizards in Lee County. After graduating, he looks to work with local and state agencies to help learn and manage other invasive reptiles.

Parker is a native Floridian from Jacksonville who grew up in the ocean surfing and boating along the St. Johns River. With a lifelong love for the outdoors, Parker enjoys both working and spending time outside. Currently a senior pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Geology at FGCU, Parker works as a research assistant on a project studying fossil shark teeth (including megalodon). Parker is also the President of the FGCU Paleontology Club and has also gained years of experience working with kids and animals at summer camps and the Jacksonville Zoo. After graduation, Parker plans to join the U.S. Air Force to work in space operations, with the long-term goal of building a career in astrogeology.

Born and raised on the Atlantic Coast of Florida, Kyle always had an itch to be outside as much as possible and a strong passion for all things wildlife. During summers and other school breaks, he would visit his father in Bonita Springs on the Gulf Coast, where there was always plenty to do outdoors. He spent time at Barefoot Beach watching gopher tortoises graze, at Lovers Key State Park fishing and exploring the mangroves, birdwatching and at Koreshan State Historic Site kayaking and enjoying the wildlife. Being in Southwest Florida, Kyle knew this was where he wanted to be. This passion eventually led him to pursue an education in Environmental Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University, where he is now in his senior year. Kyle had the opportunity to be a Rising Tide intern, participating in multiple community outreach programs such as Rookery Bay Community Day, the Great Canoe Races of Naples, and FROGWATCH. In these roles, he helped spread the organization’s mission, engaged with the community, and even assisted with kayak maintenance at RTE headquarters. Through Rising Tide, Kyle is able to share his love, appreciation, and knowledge of the outdoors with the guests who join along our tours.

Nick is a third generation Floridian who knew from a young age that his place was in the ocean and that he should dedicate himself to researching as much about the marine environment as he could. He did so by pursuing a career as an oceanographer, working his way through multiple academic degrees, culminating in a doctorate in Oceanography and Coastal Sciences from Louisiana State University. His research spans from Louisiana and Florida to Puerto Rico, and covers topics as wide ranging as paleotempestology, harmful algal blooms, and marine pollution (particularly microplastic). After receiving his Ph.D., he continued his career as a postdoctoral researcher and adjunct professor at Florida Gulf Coast University. In the future, he hopes to continue educating interested individuals and researching important environmental topics by becoming a tenured professor in south Florida. In his spare time, he likes to spearfish, backpack, and read a good book by the water.